Proposals
by Thalia Marie Grace
Summary: Jace wants to get married. Clary doesn't. But Jace Herondale always gets what he wants.


**Author's Note: In the midst of lounging around and reading being absolutely bored out of my mind (and reading Eclipse), this short idea came to me. It's just a one-shot, with Jace and Clary goodness. **

**Project Marriage update will come tomorrow late morning. **

**Summary: Jace wants to get married. Clary doesn't. But Jace Herondale always gets what he wants.**

* * *

**Proposals**

They were at dinner when he first suggested it.

Normally, Thursday nights were family dinner nights—where Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and even _Magnus _would join Clary and Jace at Taki's. It had become a tradition between Jace, Alec, and Isabelle forever ago, since they were very young and living at the Institute. Once the chaos of the Shadow World died down, Simon, Magnus, and Clary were included in this tradition—and so it lived on.

But this Thursday was different for some reason. Jace had decided he wasn't feeling up to guests, and Clary immediately complied with her boyfriend's wishes because he was very annoying when he was unhappy. So they ordered Chinese takeout and sat together in their mundane apartment in absolute silence.

"So my nineteenth birthday is coming up next month." Jace mused through a mouthful of mu shu pork.

"How could I forget?" Clary agreed, setting down the carton she was holding. "I'm very good at remembering things, you know."

"And nineteen is surprisingly old for a Shadowhunter." he added hesitantly.

The dry smile on Clary's lips fell. "It is?"

"We tend to get murdered by demons rather quickly, Clary." Jace reminded her with a tight-lipped smile. "Most Shadowhunters get married by their eighteenth year."

Clary blinked. "Jace, if this is your idea of _proposing—"_

"What?" Jace frowned at her, his hand immediately moving to twist the Herondale family ring on his finger. "You don't want to get married?"

"You have to remember that I was raised in a mundane home." Clary exhaled.

"So you want to have a mundane wedding?"

"I don't _mind _the Shadowhunter wedding; no." his red-haired girlfriend shook her head. "I'm fine with the Shadowhunter traditions; I _am _a Shadowhunter, after all."

"Then what's the problem?" Jace bit down on his lower lip.

"The problem is that mundanes don't normally get _married _until their mid-twenties." Clary explained, wringing her hands together. "Until after they've completed college and all of that."

"But you aren't going to college," said Jace slowly.

She looked exasperated. "Jace, I..." but Clary sighed, and Jace could tell she didn't say what she really wanted to. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight." Jace's voice was quiet. Clary leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and then rose from the couch and exited the living room without another word.

* * *

"Hey, Jace," said Clary tiredly. It had been a week since he brought up the marriage idea and a week since they had spoken about it last. "Pass the remote, would you please?"

But Jace wasn't about to give in that easily. He said casually, "I will if you marry me," and watched as Clary's expression morphed into at least four different ones.

"Fine." she grumbled, leaning forward and snatching the remote off the table to change the channel on the television. "I'll get it myself."

Jace sighed and watched as she continued sketching. Though it had only been a week, Jace could tell that Clary was busying herself so much that there would be no _time _to talk about it.

"Clary, come on." Jace took her sketchbook out of her hands gently and set it on the table, ignoring the glare she gave him. "Why won't you marry me?"

"Why are you so insistent that I do soon?" Clary responded. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Simon and Isabelle aren't married, nor engaged, and neither are Alec and Magnus."

"Simon hasn't proposed because he's a scared wimp," said Jace slowly (Clary scowled at him when he insulted her best friend), "and Isabelle is sure as _hell _not going to propose to him because she's very traditional—about having the guy ask the girl and stuff like that. Alec and Magnus aren't engaged because Alec's too nervous to do it and Magnus is just waiting for the right time."

He watched as Clary's expression turned a little more nervous as she realised that Magnus and Alec would soon be getting engaged. "Just ask your parents, love." Jace reminded her, taking one of her hands. "Jocelyn and Valentine got married when they were eighteen."

"Yeah. And look how well _that _marriage turned out." Clary grumbled.

"_I _think it turned out amazing." Jace lifted her chin with his other hand. "Because they made _you."_

"If you're giving me sappy compliments just so I'll say yes, it's not working." Clary insisted hotly, but she didn't move her head away.

"Just marry me." Jace insisted.

"It's not that _simple_, Jace."

"It's quite—"

They were both cut off by the sound of Jace's phone buzzing loudly on the table. Wanting a distraction, Clary snatched it up and read it, but by the look of her face it wasn't much of the distraction she was hoping for.

"What?" Jace took the phone from her and scanned the screen himself. It was from Alec—and Magnus had just proposed. "Oh."

"I'd really like to get back to sketching runes, if you wouldn't mind giving me my sketchpad back." Clary said softly, and since Jace wasn't going to get her to say yes by arguing with her, he handed her the sketchpad without disagreement.

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Magnus and Alec's engagement day—which also happened to be the last time Jace had brought up the marriage idea to Clary. There was no time to do it today, though; it was Jace's nineteenth birthday, and his party was being held at their small apartment.

Not many came, but that was all right to Jace because he wasn't a huge people person. Robert only stopped by to say hello, as did Maryse; Luke and Jocelyn were over for about an hour, but they left soon enough (which Clary wasn't exactly happy about, because she missed her parents greatly). Isabelle, Simon, Magnus, and Alec all stayed, which made Jace incredibly happy, and Clary was her normal, bubbly self again.

Which, of course, Jace had to ruin the minute the party was over.

There was leftover cake that hadn't been finished, and without words exchanged both Clary and Jace took their own forks and dove into the rest of it.

"You're a goddess, Clary," remarked Jace. "This is the best cake ever."

"I'm only a goddess for buying it." Clary rolled her eyes at him. "If I had made a cake, I would have burned the apartment down."

"True," he allowed. "But if that cake still survived the fire, it would be the best cake ever."

Clary's almond-shaped green eyes narrowed. "Jace."

Jace grinned sheepishly at his girlfriend. "I know I told you not to get me anything for my birthday, but I'm totally rethinking that now."

"And what would you suggest I give you?" she was wary now, setting down her fork and putting her hands on her hips.

"It's nothing you can _give_ me..." Jace's sheepish smile widened. "It's something you can _be _to me."

"No, Jace." Clary sighed heavily.

"Why not!?"

"We've had this discussion before!"

"Actually, we haven't." Jace pointed out. "We never get to the bottom of it. I want to _marry _you, Clary; I want you to be my wife. Why can't you accept that?"

"I've already told you that I don't want to get married right now, Jace," said Clary, as if this were the answer, satisfaction glimmering in her emerald eyes as she answered him.

"That's not a solid answer to me." Jace argued. "You don't want to get married now, fine. But just because you accept my proposal doesn't mean we have to get married soon! We could wait ten years if you wanted!"

"But you would keep _pushing _me and _pushing _me until we finally got married!" Clary retorted. "And then what? Would you push me until we started a family?"

Jace dropped his arms from where they were crossed over his chest. "Clary—"

"Happy birthday, Jace," said Clary flatly. She set her fork in the sink and pushed past him, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

And Jace had a feeling he would be sleeping on the couch tonight.

* * *

Jace decided to drop the whole wedding thing. For a while, at least.

He was considering bringing it back up at Magnus and Alec's wedding, because Ithuriel knew when that would be. He hated fighting with Clary—but she was just so damn _stubborn_, not unlike Jace himself. It was infuriating at times.

But then Isabelle and Simon got engaged.

Jace wasn't aware of it at first—he was at home, like normal, when Clary stormed inside and slammed the front door shut behind her. It looked like she was _beyond _pissed—and Jace, worriedly, shot to his feet from the couch and was beside her in a second.

"Clary? What's wrong?" his eyes were wide as he watched her; whenever she got extremely mad, her face turned nearly as red as her hair. Her green eyes were narrowed, and it was obvious she was trying very hard not to lose her temper.

"Simon and Isabelle." Clary said slowly, saying each word very delicately.

"What's wrong with Simon and Isabelle?" Jace frowned.

"They got engaged."

Oh. So that was what this was about.

"I'll have to pass my congratulations onto Isabelle later." Jace mused, biting down on his lower lip. "But why are you mad about that?"

"Because that gives you another _freaking _reason to push me into marrying you!" Clary all-but shouted, and it was super cute the way she tried to stare him down (which wasn't working, because Jace was nine inches taller than she was). "And it's all you're going to talk about!"

Jace blinked.

So did Clary.

"Clary," said Jace softly, and very tentatively he put his arms around her waist, tracing patterns at the bottom of her spine the way he knew she liked it, "I'm not going to push you into marrying me."

Clary blinked a second time at him. "What?"

"I'm not going to push you into marrying me." Jace repeated, a bit louder this time. He sighed heavily. "It's your choice, and if you want to wait, then I'll wait with you."

"You will?" the surprise was in Clary's eyes and in her tone.

"I love you." Jace said honestly, like this was the answer. "Of course I will. Your happiness means more to me than anything. I'm sorry if I tried to push you—it wasn't right. I can wait to get married if that's what you want."

It took a second before her eyes narrowed again. "You're playing me," she accused. "You're just trying to guilt me into saying yes."

"I'm not." Jace insisted, and it was true; for now, he was tired of her being mad and distant towards him all the time. He missed his stubborn little Clary that rolled her eyes at his sarcastic remarks and laughed when he tried to do something and failed miserably. "If you want to wait, then we will wait. I am not going to talk to you about marriage until _you _want it. Okay?"

"Okay." Clary whispered, biting down on her lower lip. Her arms slithered around his torso. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for." Jace mumbled. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, muffling his sigh.

Maybe he didn't always get what he wanted.

* * *

It was about half a year later, when they were dancing at their second wedding in two months.

Clary was nearly dead on her feet; Isabelle's wedding was more tiring than Magnus and Alec's. The party was coming to a close, and since Jace and Clary had to portal back to the mundane world, it was about time for them to go.

"Clary," murmured Jace, stirring her lightly. She moaned in protest. "Clary, if you want to sleep, we have to go home."

"Okay." Clary murmured back. "Give me my stele—I'll draw us a portal rune."

"Are you sure you're awake enough to draw one?" Jace inquired, quirking an eyebrow. He fought back the smirk.

She yawned. "Positive."

"Alright, then," he said, kissing her forehead. "But I'm not carrying you to the apartment if you collapse from exhaustion."

"Yes, you are." Clary argued.

He sighed. Clary's weight was pressing against him, and it was obvious that she was falling deeper into sleep with every minute. "Fine." Jace finally muttered. "Let me find Isabelle and say goodbye and then we'll go. Don't you want to say goodbye to Simon?"

"Oh. Simon. Right." Clary's eyes were a little less clouded as she stood herself up straight. "I forgot. I'll come with you and say goodbye."

It wasn't hard to spot Isabelle and Simon in the crowd; Isabelle's gold dress was beautiful and shimmering, and the colour matched the golden runes on Simon's ceremonial gear exactly. "Hey, Iz," said Jace softly, giving his adoptive sister a hug. "Congrats."

"Thank you, Jace." Isabelle smiled brightly at him. "It means a lot."

"Of course." Jace reassured her, and after Clary was done saying her congrats to Simon, Jace moved on to his brother-in-law.

"You hurt her and I'll break you." Jace warned, and Simon laughed as he shook Jace's hand.

"I hurt her and I'll break myself." Simon assured him, and Jace cracked a smile. "So when are you and Clary tying the knot, huh?"

At this, Jace's smile fell. Clary wasn't paying attention—she was lost in her conversation with Isabelle, thank the Angel. "Uh, probably not anytime soon."

"No?" Simon frowned.

"No." Jace rubbed the back of his neck. "I've already proposed, but she doesn't want to get married. Not yet, anyway."

"Okay, I'm ready to go home now." Clary declared, reaching for Jace's hand. "Congrats again," she told Isabelle and Simon.

Jace reached into his pocket and handed Clary her stele—which she quickly used to draw a portal rune. They stepped in together and ended up in an alley just beside their apartment building. Clary all-but collapsed in his arms, and her eyes were fluttering shut. "What's with you and not sleeping lately?" he grumbled under his breath, but he put her stele back into her pocket and lifted her up.

He tried not to think about how he was carrying her 'bridal style', as the mundanes called it—one of his arms was underneath her legs and the other was around her back. Clary's arms were loosely wrapped around his neck and her temple was resting on his shoulder.

"Oh, damn," sighed Jace, swearing softly under his breath.

It was loud enough to rouse Clary, because she mumbled, "What is it?"

"I can't reach the doorknob." Jace grumbled. "I left the door unlocked but I just can't reach the damn doorknob to open the door."

Drowsily, his girlfriend suggested, "Kick it open."

"I'll break the door, Clary."

"I don't care."

Jace sighed a second time. "The neighbours might."

"Jace, just kick open the damn door."

Her tone was so stubborn that Jace laughed, but with great difficulty he managed to bend down and twist the doorknob, using his foot to kick the door open all the way and step through.

"This is just like the movies." Clary mumbled.

"Which moves?" Jace asked her softly, kicking the door shut behind him.

"The movies where the main characters get married and then the guy always forgets the key so he has to break down the door to get them inside." she yawned against his chest.

"Oh. Those movies."

They were nearly inside their bedroom now. "Yeah." Clary sighed sleepily. Her eyes were still closed as Jace set her on the bed and took off her shoes. "Hey, Jace?"

"Hmm?" Jace pulled off one of his shoes and looked at Clary.

Her eyes were open this time. "You know, going to Alec's wedding and Izzy's wedding got me thinking."

"Did it?" Jace raised an eyebrow at her, pulling off his jacket.

"Yeah." Clary yawned. "I think I'm ready to get married now."

"Clary, you're probably talking in your sleep," said Jace quietly, but his heart was pounding.

"Then ask me in the morning." Clary argued stubbornly. She closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

Jace sighed. "I will." he agreed under his breath, and after lying down in bed next to her, he was asleep within minutes.

* * *

In the morning, Clary was the first one awake.

She was turned around in his arms so she was facing him, and smiled widely when Jace opened his eyes. "Morning." she said softly.

"Morning." Jace whispered back, twirling a red curl around his finger. "Sleep well?"

"Mhmm." Clary's smile reached her eyes. "Did you?"

"I did."

"That's good." Clary propped herself up on her elbow.

"Hey, Clary?" Jace reached for her waist, tugging her back down.

"Yeah?" Clary looked up at him with sparkling green eyes. The conversation they'd had last night—she remembered it. Jace could tell.

"Marry me?" he whispered. There was no going back now.

Clary's eyes lit up and her smile broke into a wider grin. "I thought you'd never ask again," she teased him, and pulled his face against hers in a kiss.

So in the end, Jace Herondale really _did _get what he wanted.

* * *

**What did you think? I'm very proud of this one-shot.**

**Like I said earlier: Project Marriage will be updated in twelve hours or so. Expect another one-shot by tomorrow night or the night after. The Pretty Little Liars summer premiere is tomorrow and that will be occupying my brain all day, so I might not be able to type something up—but hopefully I will be able to! Here's a hint: my next one-shot title is 'Surrogate'. Much love, guys, and don't forget to let me know what you thought in a lovely review! X**


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